The present invention relates to a fastening device for lace-up articles, and to improved lace-up articles incorporating such fastening device.
The term "lace-up article" as used in this disclosure refers to an article having a pair of opposed flaps which may be retained in juxtaposition with one another by means of a lace. An ordinary shoe is one example of such an article and there is a substantial need for an improved fastening device suitable for use on lace-up shoes. Although the ordinary shoelace provides an effective means for fastening opposed flaps of a shoe to one another to bind the shoe to the foot such a lace must be tied and untied in use. This seemingly simple task is beyond the abilities of many people who wear shoes, such as young children and physically handicapped persons. It is also extremely difficult to perform this task while wearing gloves or mittens. Accordingly, there has long been a need for a fastening device which does not require the user to tie a knot. Various devices have been proposed to meet this need.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,928 discloses a lace having a plurality of snaps adjacent one end and a plurality of complementary snap receiving members adjacent the other end. When the lace is engaged with a conventional shoe, the snaps may be engaged in the snap receiving members to fasten the ends together and thereby fasten the opposing flaps of the shoe about the foot of the wearer. Such a device, however, provides only a limited range of adjustment and provides only step-wise adjustment over this limited range. Moreover, the snaps or the snap receiving elements must be of a smaller diameter than the lace receiving eyelets in the shoe so that the lace can be threaded through the eyelets. Both the holding power and the ease of engagement of the snaps are correspondingly limited.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,618,235 discloses a shoe having two opposed flaps and a patch of Velcro fastener material on each such flap. A third flap having another piece of Velcro material is arranged so that the tongue may be folded to overlie both flaps. In this position, the Velcro material on the tongue engages the Velcro material on the flaps so that both flaps are fastened to the tongue and thus fastened to one another. As this arrangement requires special constructional features in the shoe itself, it is unsuitable for use with ordinary shoes originally made for use with standard laces.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,916, it has also been proposed to provide a lace permanently mounted in a shoe with both ends of the lace being fastened to a single flap of Velcro material. A complementary flap is permanently mounted to the body of the shoe so that the lace may be pulled taut and then secured in position by engaging the flaps with one another. This arrangement also requires a special shoe construction and results in a shoe having a somewhat unconventional appearance.